Summary: Physiology: Basic Concepts

Read the summary and the most important questions on Physiology: Basic Concepts

• 1 Lecture 2: How does the immune system protect the animal's body?

• 1.1 The immune system

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• What are some classic steps to diagnose?

  1. Case history
     
  2. Physical examination
  3. Diagnostic tests

• 1.1.3 Functions of the immune system

• What are the functions of the immune system?

  1. Fighting pathogens: target and eliminate germs that cause disease
     
  2. Neutralizing harmful substances: detects and neutralizes harmful substances entering the body
  3. Fighting disease causing changes: Defending against harmful internal changes, e.g. Cancer

• 1.2 Barriers of defense

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• Three major barriers of defense

  1. Physical barriers
     
  2. Innate immunity
  3. Adaptive immunity

• What is the time course of innate and adaptive immunity?

  1. Physical barriers act first, but don't act for too long
     
  2. Innate immunity act second, and is steady for days and weeks
  3. Adaptive immunity acts last, it is the strongest and lasts the longest (weeks)

• 2 Lecture 3: Why don't animals get the same disease twice?

• 2.1.1 Mechanism for immunological memory

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• What are characteristics of active immunity?

  1. Direct contact with the pathogen and its antigen
     
  2. A period for immunity to develop
  3. Production of antibodies in response
  4. Long lasting immunity

• How does the first encounter compare to the second encounter?

  First encounter is slower, and the complete response takes several days to several weeks to develop. The response is weaker, the body may have symptoms. It is mediated by Naive B and T cells
  
  Second encounter is very fast, memory cells respond within hours, and high antibody levels are produced in 2-4 days. The response is stronger and clears the pathogen before symptoms develop. It is mediated by Memory B and T cells

• 2.1.2 Vaccines

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• How are antibody-antigen complexes made?

  These complexes are only made when they match exactly, they have a lock-key mechanism.

• 2.2 Passive immunity

• What is passive immunity?

  Type of immunity in which an animal is protected from a pathogen by receiving pre-formed antibodies from another animal, rather than producing them through its own immune system

• What are the key characteristics of passive immunity?

  1. Immediate protection
     
  2. Short lived: it is temporary, as the body does not produce memory cells to replenish the antibodies

• What are the types of passive immunity?

  - Natural: antibodies are transferred naturally from one individual to another (e.g. Baby receiving mother's antibodies through placenta or milk)
  - Artificial: antibodies are harvested from another source and given to an individual (e.g. Receiving an injection of antibodies/antivenom to neutralize)